Is your body driving you nuts? I mean are you trying to lose weight and nothing is working. The doctor said everything is okay, but you have read a lot about thyroid and think it’s the problem stopping you from a slimmer you from showing up in real life.

I believe you.

I also believe that most medical professionals use outdated normal blood ranges for what is a healthy thyroid. Well, and then many don’t run all the tests that really show the whole picture.

Do You Need Lab Work To Know If Your Thyroid Is Not Up To Speed?

Yes is the quick answer but you can go by symptoms. Some health coaching clients want to get started feeling better right away. They ‘report’ all or most of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. The goal to lose weight is only one of these problems.

Does this list sound like you too?

10 Signs It’s Your Thyroid Stopping You

Feeling Tired

Gaining Weight [it needs to be on the list]

Feeling Cold

Weakness and Aches in Your Muscles and Joints

Hair Loss

Itchy or Dry Skin

Feeling Down or Depressed

Trouble Concentrating or Remembering

Constipation

10, Heavy or Irregular Periods

Can’t Lose Weight?

Shara only had two symptoms from the list. Yet when we started working to optimize her thyroid function, she lost 21 pounds. She noticed that she had more energy and her infrequent bowel movements became what is considered normal self-corrected too.

Because she had more energy Shara began to exercise more regularly which promoted weight loss. Not realizing that daily bowel movements were vital to good health she didn’t think much of not being ‘regular.’

She quickly discovered that if you want to lose weight what goes in must come out!

Health Coaching to Lose Weight

How did we approach Shara’s weight gain problem? She became a health coaching client. No, I don’t advise you or tell you what to do. You already know what you want to do. A good health coach is more a mentor who works with the idea of helping you find what works for you. I don’t give you a diet or workout plan.

I do help you with the plan you choose. But it’s your body, and you’ll use me to be a mentor or coach – a listening ear who has information that can help you. Now, this isn’t like a high school coach that cheered you on.

Nope if you want to lose weight, you need a coach who respects you know yourself and they help you do what you want and know works best for you.

Find out more about how you can lose weight especially if it due to diagnosed or undiagnosed hypothyroidism by contacting Debra at her office 720-515-4602

I had one of those strange new client calls today. She wanted to lower high cholesterol with supplements. She also has type I Diabetes.

As the conversation went, it was a fantastic complimentary consult. We hit it off. She was ready to make changes in her life and work with a Health Coach. We’ll call this lady Alice.

Naturally lower high cholesterol

Alice asked about supplements to help lower high cholesterol. She has a cousin who has successfully worked with me for the same health issue. While her cousin doesn’t have Diabetes I, this chronic illness is part of the whole healthcare dynamic. Autoimmune disease is something other qualified health coaches or I can help with. Her cardiovascular issue is part of the health problem too.

You learn a lot about people just on the phone. I do anyway.

The following week, she phoned me before most people are up and moving around. It was the day before her first scheduled appointment with me.

Forming a connection

“I haven’t done my paperwork because I don’t have a printer. I also can’t download it or anything,” Alice said. Every good relationship in health and wellness begins with some information. Paperwork is a conversation starter. It helps a health coach or practitioner create a connection with you.

“I just want you to tell me what supplement will lower high cholesterol, so I don’t think I need to tell you more about me or do paperwork.” she went on.

My reply, “Alice, I need to know what you eat. I would like to know what you ate yesterday and today if possible. It will help me help you feel better.” I paused and heard her breathing speed up.

“Also, the information lets me know if you have other problems or what all your health symptoms are. I can’t just say take this supplement without knowing more.” I continued.

Lowering LDL is more than taking a supplement

After another pause, Alice said, “I don’t feel that’s necessary, I only want you to fix my LDL which is too high. “My cousin said you can fix that with a supplement. “

I went on to explain to Alice that this problem didn’t happen overnight and knowing more about her helps me to coach her. She didn’t buy it.

Alice explained she had a support group for diabetics and didn’t want to make any changes. My goal wasn’t to change your existing support but to add my support to her and her goals!

It was clear Alice was a professional story-teller. She likely wasn’t eating and exercising like she was reporting to her group. Now with me. I presented a threat.

She would need to let me know what she ate for 7 days after her first visit. We’d do some brainstorming around fitness. Discover what she is currently doing which in our first call she told me was a lot. Now she didn’t want to ‘admit’ to doing anything specific.

There’s More To It Than Taking A Pill To Lower High Cholesterol

Alice wasn’t ready to really feel better or lower high cholesterol. It might change any joint pain she was experiencing. It might help her diabetes. Working with a health coach meant she has to take care of herself. “I just thought I could talk with you and you’d give me a supplement to fix the problem. You know like my medical doctor does.” This sounds like I have to do something other than pop a pill. I’m not ready for that!”

How many times have people shied away from taking responsibility for their own health? Many people do. I feel for Alice.

Change is hard. She knows that the solution is more than a pill. Alice isn’t honest with herself and her support group.

From my first conversation with her she talked about how good she ate and the fitness she does. Then when it came down to sharing details is was scary. Was what she doing right or enough? We’ll never know.

Alice likely called her doctor asking for a ‘pill’ to lower high cholesterol.

It hit Susan like a train wreck she said. “I seemed to gain weight overnight, and I need help for losing weight after menopause.”

Susan was a regular for acupuncture for pain but never would talk about wellness care. “My butt is as big as a caboose don’t you think?” she asked me turning around to show me where the fat had deposited itself. Like many women, her body had betrayed her. Why?

Simple

Menopause means a change. That’s what my mother called it. It’s right – a change in hormones. A change in your lifestyle. Particularly food and fitness.

Handing Susan a tissue I explained this.

Pre-invest in yourself

First thing is don’t wait until you notice symptoms. Start in your 40’s by being proactive. Use acupuncture for wellness care. In my office, we can do acupuncture through health insurance even when you don’t have acupuncture as a covered benefit. Acupuncture is one of the leading ways to reduce stress a major factor in weight gain.

Vary your exercise from walking to cycling. Do weight and then some yoga.

Start removing grains, pseudo-grains if you haven’t already.

Losing Weight After Menopause – 2 Tips

Susan like many other women I work with in my practice had done an exercise routine for years. She explained that she did these videos at home and then walked every lunch hour for 10 minutes. Yet her belly and butt got bigger. The scale showed a gain too.

Two sizes bigger she felt that losing weight after menopause would be impossible. Not true!

As an acupuncturist, I know that acupuncture will boost the metabolism. I know as a functional medicine practitioner that certain supplements, food, and exercise will help you with losing weight after menopause.

So what are the 2 tips beside do acupuncture?

Begin a move toward a Paleo eating lifestyle if you haven’t already. Remove grains, sugar, and dairy from your diet for a while. Work with someone like myself who is an acupuncturist and a health coach.You’ll need to plan the changes in your eating habits. Cleaning out the kitchen, learning to cook or new ways to prepare tasty yet easy meals. You don’t have to do this alone.‘ Food is the most abused anxiety drug. Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant.’ Unknown

Exercise[1] is about to change. Yes, you can still walk daily but the 10 minutes is now 45-60 minutes – daily. If you’re open to it, try other forms of cardio. Going to a spin class or a dance class for women. For Susan, we needed to add strength training. I suggested weightlifting. She preferred to try Yoga and Pilates. It all works.

The point is you have to change some things up. What worked when you were 40 doesn’t work when you’re 50. It will not work when you’re 60 either. You may move from high-impact to lower impact.

Mix it up at any age Susan did. She found a “spin room” on her way home from work and a Yoga place nearby. She still walks just further outside for longer.

She donated her exercise videos and bought a few light weights. On some days, she lifts weight in front of a mirror in her home.

Expected the unexpected

Let it be fun. Your acupuncture treatment should be relaxing and a special time for you. Enjoy it. If you get your nails or hair done professionally then invest in your wellness and longevity through acupuncture care too.

Think about finding new recipes with our website.. Aren’t you tired of the same old thing? It’s exciting to eat new flavors and try old favorites with a new approach. A lot of women have gotten away from cooking. Using a health coach helps you find what fits your professional and personal lifestyle.

Susan resisted the idea of anything other than walking. She was too busy to be in a class. Once she got going with a punch card for the “Spin room” she found that varying her time there helped to relieve stress more than walking. She began to sleep better. Losing weight after menopause became easier.

‘Let exercise be your stress reliever, not food.’ Unknown

Not everyone will have Susan’s amazing results of returning to her old dress size and have a shapelier body yet it’s possible for you too.

Losing weight after menopause always works if you apply my 2 tips. Susan latest comments about her body to me this past week, “Look! My butt looks better than it did when I was 40!”

I decided to do something different, the great health problem experiment. As an online health coach these 3 questions seem to be on everyone’s mind recently. How do I lose weight and keep it off? If you’re not thinking that it’s might be How To I Slow The Aging Process, I have no energy and I’m stressed out! Or is it that menopause thing getting you down. No sleep, hot flashes, bloating and night sweats – even when it’s daytime?

Be Part Of Great Health Problem Experiment!

Finally, maybe you’re saying ‘girl you got it all wrong’ it’s all of this. I am so ready to scream at the top of my lungs that I am willing to keep reading. Call this the great health problem experiment. Don’t you want to know if your problem is everyone’s’ or not?

As a health coach and licensed healer my thoughts are how can I help you if I don’t know what bothers my reader most? Help me research, support, and guide you through what is bothering you the most.

You say, Deb you’re crazy it’s totally something else. Well I didn’t forget about the other stuff like IBS, thyroid, autoimmune, or you tell me what it is. That’s why I call this the great health problem experiment, I don’t know the answer to the question. What is your biggest health problem so share it with me!

Lose Weight – Slow Aging – Menopause ‘Oh My!’

So how do you let me know what the problem is? Fill out the form below. If it matters to you, it matters to me. Help me help you by giving me so input and insight into how I can support you.

How does that sound? Easy! Below is a simple poll that let’s me know your thoughts. I only ask for your email and name because there are spammers out that that target such polls and I want to hear from real-humans.

I know there are days – you don’t feel so human or maybe not so real that’s okay, we always blame that on hormones. Thank you for trusting me with your health problem. I look forward to sharing the results of this poll with everyone in an update of this blog post! Yes, I will share it! After all this is the great health problem experiment.